Toy with randomly released part



Sept. 16, 1969 A. E. GOLDFARB 3,466,792

TOY WITH RANDOMLY RELEASED PART I Filed May 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4 W w INVENTOR. Juan/w [90/ iazaave;

United States Patent 3,466,792 TOY WITH RANDOMLY RELEASED PART Adolph Eddy Goldfarh, 7427 Varna Ave., North Hollywood, Calif. 91605 Filed May 8, 1967, Ser. No. 636,752 Int. Cl. A63h 13/16 US. Cl. 46146 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy having a housing and a hollow internal member rotatable within the housing containing a compressed springy part in a stored condition under a latched cover, and wherein the housing has operative openings therein through one of which openings the user of the toy can poke a finger and cause the release of the springy part. By merely rotating the internal member a different operative opening is selected, on a strictly random basis, as the effective opening for causing release of the stored part.

The present invention relates generally to toys and more particular to a toy having a playing action produced on a changeable, random basis so that there is a considerable element of surprise contributing to the play value of the toy.

As generally understood, the play value of a toy can in many instances be supplemented by introducing a surprise element or factor in the operation of the toy. Thus, for example, the release of a jack-in-the-box type part as is involved in the present toy is more appealing if its release occurs on a random basis and surprises the user of the toy. However, this random operation of the toy cannot be permitted to increase the complexity of the parts, the assembly or the mode of operation of the toy.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a random operating toy as noted having a simplified construction and mode of operation, particularly in resetting or loading of the toy following each use. Specifically, it is an object to provide a toy having a randomly released jack-in-the-box type part in which randomness of the release of this part is readily and effectively achieved by merely rotating an element of the toy.

A toy demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention includes an outer basket-like housing having circumferentially spaced operative openings in its base. An internal member is rotatably disposed in the housing and contains a jack-in-the-box type springing part under a latched cover. By rotating the internal member, an unlatching mechanism on the internal member is moved adjacent one of the operative openings so that a finger poked through this opening is effective to operate the unlatching mechanism and cause release of the springing part.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in' conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, in section, of the toy;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the toy in an assembled condition;

FIG. 4 is a plan view projected from FIG. 3, but without a cover on the toy, showing further structural details of the toy;

FIG. 5 is a partial elevational view, on an enlarged all) "ice

scale and in section, of means effecting the rotational position of an internal member of the toy;

FIG. 6 is an isolated elevational view of said internal member of the toy, taken in the direction of the arrows on line 66 in FIG. 2, in which portions of the illustrated structure is broken away to better show further features thereof; and

FIG. 7 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 3, with portions partially broken away, illustrating the toy at the time of release of a movable part from within the toy.

Reference is now made to thedrawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 3, which best illustrate by comparison with each other the playing action of the toy hereof which is generally designated 10. It is contemplated that the toy 10 will be used as part of a snake charmers game and, consistent therewith has the motif or appearance as shown. More particularly, the toy 10 includes a housing 12 which in form and appearance simulates a snake charmers basket, and also a movable part 14 which has a simulated appearance of a snake and a well known jackin-the-box type of operation enabling it to leap from a stored position out of the housing or basket 12. As generally understood, this type of functioning is achieved by the uncoiling of a helical spring 14a attached to the snakes head 1% and disposed within a stocking-type body 140. The action or play value of the toy 10 is supplemented by a series of operative openings 12a in the base of the basket 12 which provide access into its interior and, through one of which openings, the user of the toy can poke a finger F (see FIG. 3) to release the movable part or snake 14 from its stored and compressed position, as illustrated in FIG. 3, into its leaping condition as illustrated in FIG. 1. The structure providing this functioning and, more important, its occurrence on a strictly random basis in which it is not known which one of the plural operative openings 12a will produce this functioning will now be described.

The basket 12, in a preferred form, is comprised of a lower part 121; and an upper part which each have semicircular cutouts at their confronting edges which together provide the previously noted operative openings 120. Thus, when these two parts are connected to each other, as for example with an adhesive, they form a suitable compartment for an internal hollow member 16 which, in practice, is rotatably mounted within this compartment among other features soon to be described, the member 16 has a pivotally mounted cover 16a which is located on a level with and within an opening 12b of the basket upper part 12c, as best shown in FIG. 2.

The hollow internal member 16 is, more particularly, a molded part having a cylindrical wall 16]) and a bottom wall bounding a storage compartment S for the snake 14. A laterally oriented wall 16d mounts an outer cylindrical skirt 16e in a spaced, concentric position about the storage compartment S. Lugs 18 on the wall 16d appropriately mount the pivot 20 of the cover 16a. In a position preferably opposite the pivot 20, there is provided a latching mechanism 22 including a lever 22a pivotally mounted, at 22b, in a notch or cutout 16 in the skirt 166, all as is clearly shown in FIG. 6. The lever 22a includes at its upper end a latching element in the form of a hook 22c which is normally spring biased into latching engagement over the circumferential lip of the cover 16a, all as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. The spring bias is provided by a light helical spring 24 seated against the Wall 1612 and on a lateral projection 22d at the lower end of the lever 22a.

The internal member 1611, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, has a centrally located raised ridge 16g and is connected to one end of a cord C which at its other end is connected to an outer cover 122 of the basket 12 which normally seats in a shoulder 12 formed in the upper end of the basket upper part 120. On the undersurface of the cover 12e there are depending turning lugs 12g which extend on opposite sides of the raised ridge 16g. Thus, by rotating the cover 12e within its seat 12 one or the other of the turning lugs 12g is brought into contact with the ridge 16g so that continued rotation results in the rotation of the internal member 16 within the basket 12. In this manner, the latching mechanism 22 is moved, on a strictly random basis, into a position adjacent a different operative opening 12a following the rotation or spinning of the cover 12s, and thus it is normally not known which operative opening 12a will be effective to cause the release of the snake 14. In this connection, the cover 12c in addition to rotating the internal member 16 also masks this member from view so that the telltale rotated position of, for example, the latching hook 22c is not known and thus cannot detract from the surprise element of playing with the toy 10.

As best shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, there is a gear 26 depending from the internal member bottom wall 160 which has a bearing surface 26a provided with shallow teeth 26b and which also includes an axial projection 26c. Cooperating with the gear 26 is an essentially similar gear 28 provided at a central location on the base of the basket lower part 12b. The gear 28 also includes a bearing surface 28a provided with shallow teeth 28b and has an axial bore 28c which accommodates the axial projection 26b. The shallow teeth 26b, 28b cooperate with each other such that after rotation of the internal member 16 the meshing engagement of these shallow teeth provide a specific position of rotation to the internal member 16 which locates the lever 22a adjacent one, rather than between a pair of operative openings 12a. This assures that the poking of a finger F through the appropriate operative opening 12a will make contact with the lower end of the lever 22a and result in this lever being pivoted out of latching engagement with the closed cover 16a. It should be noted, however, that the shallowness of the teeth 26b, 28b does not impede rotation of the internal member 16 while achieving the just noted positioning function.

From the foregoing it should readily be appreciated that a strictly random release of the snake 14 is achieved which greatly contributes to the play value of the toy 10. Moreover, once the hook 22 has been unlatched from the internal member cover 16a, the urgency of the compressed spring 14a automatically causes the jumping of the simulated snake 14 out of the storage compartment S. During this time, the movement of the snake 14 also forces the unlatched pivotally mounted cover 16a into its open position and throws the basket outer cover 12e from its seat 12 What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising a housing having an internal compartment provided with an outlet opening in the top of said housing, a removable cover for said outlet opening, circurnferentially spaced operative openings in the base of said housing providing access into said housing internal compartment, an internal member having a storage compartment rotatably mounted in said internal compartment, a cover pivotally mounted on said internal member having a closed and an open position with respect to said storage compartment, a spring-actuated movable means having a stored position within said internal member while biasing said internal member cover from said closed into said open position, and a latching mechanism including a releasing lever operatively arranged on said internal member to releasably maintain said internal member in said closed position and said movable means in said stored position,

said releasing lever having an operative position of accessibility with respect to said spaced operative openings in said housing base and adapted to have a position adjacent one said operative opening which is randomly selected by rotation of said internal member, whereby said one operative opening is adapted to :be used incident to tripping said releasing lever and thereby operating said latching mechanism to release said movable means from said internal member.

2. A toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing cover in its operative position covering said housing top opening and said internal member have cooperating interfitting means thereon effective to cause rotation of said internal member upon rotation of said cover.

3. A toy as defined in claim 2 including cooperating bearing surfaces on said internal member and on said housing enabling rotation of said internal member with respect to said housing, and comparatively shallow, cooperating teeth on said bearing surfaces effective not to impede said rotation while providing specific positions of rotation for said internal member determined by the meshing of said shallow teeth to thereby locate said releasing lever adjacent one of said housing operative openmgs.

4. A toy comprising a housing having an internal compartment provided with an opening in the top thereof, a removable cover for said housing top opening, circumferentially spaced operative openings in the base of said housing providing access into said housing internal compartment, an internal member having a storage compartment operatively disposed in said internal compartment, cooperating bearing surfaces on said internal member and on said housing enabling rotation of said internal member with respect to said housing, a cover pivotally mounted on said internal member having a closed and an open position with respect to said storage compartment, a movable part including a compression spring having an operative position stored within said storage compartment while biasing said internal member cover from said closed into said open position, a latching mechanism including a releasing lever operatively arranged on said internal membar to releasably maintain said internal member cover in said closed position, said releasing lever having an operative position of accessibility with respect to said spaced operative openings in said housing base, and comparatively shallow cooperating teeth on said bearing surfaces elfective to provide specific positions of rotation for said internal member determined by the meshing of said shallow teeth such that said internal member is adapted to have a position adjacent one said operative opening which is randomly selected by rotation of said internal mem'ber, whereby said one opening is adapted to be used incident to tripping said releasing lever and thereby operating said latching mechanism to cause the release of said movable part from said storage compartment.

5. A toy as defined in claim 4 wherein said housing cover in its operative position covering said housing top opening and said internal member have cooperating interfitting means thereon elfective to cause rotation of said internal member upon rotation of said cover.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,858,644 11/1958 Derham 46-146 F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner CHARLES R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner 

